This anonymous interview is with a job hunter who is not currently employed but has been hired within the last two months, and has been looking for a new position for more than 18 months. This person is looking in academic, public, and school libraries, at the entry level. Here is this person’s experience with internships/volunteering:

I volunteered with public libraries, working the Friends of the Library book sales and I did an internship in collection development within academic librarianship.

This job hunter is in a city/town in the Midwestern US and is willing to move anywhere.

What’s your routine for preparing an application packet? How much time do you spend on it?

I look over my resume to see what qualifications I have for the position & then organize my resume according to the position. I spend about 3 hours organizing my resume, composing a cover letter, and looking over information about the employer, the location, etc.

Have you ever stretched the truth, exaggerated, or lied on your resume, or at some other point during the hiring process?

√ No

When would you like employers to contact you?

√ To acknowledge my application
√ To tell me if I have or have not been selected to move on to the interview stage

How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?

√ Email

Which events during the interview/visit are most important to your assessment of the position (i.e. deciding if you want the job)?

What do you think employers should do to get the best candidates to apply?

They should provide decent wages, look outside more often for the most qualified candidates (instead of hiring within), and offer to pay for a portion of travel expenses (if necessary) when the person is traveling from a far distance for the interview.

What should employers do to make the hiring process less painful?

There should be an orientation (or workshop) available for new hires to educate them about the place, the job, health benefits, timesheets, and any other things that are associated with the new position.

What do you think is the secret to getting hired?

One must answer the interviewer’s questions clearly and concisely and it always helps to have connections on the inside.